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College News

Hoblet to head Mississippi veterinary collegePosted June 1, 2006

Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine recently appointed Dr. Kent Hoblet as dean, effective June 16. Dr. Gregg Boring had served as interim dean since 2004.

Dr. Hoblet has been a faculty member at The Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine since 1983 and chair since 1991.

Under his leadership, the department expanded in all three of its locations—Columbus, Wooster, and Marysville. The department also created a joint degree program with Ohio State's School of Public Health.

Dr. Hoblet has been active in international outreach, including working with the Agricultural Exports and Rural Income Linkage project in Egypt through the Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities. He has also served as the university's extension veterinarian for dairy cattle.

He is a member of the AVMA Council on Education and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Previously, Dr. Hoblet worked in private practice for 12 years in Ashland, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio State in 1971.

Auburn receives $1 million for diabetes research

The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine has received $1 million from the Diabetes Trust Foundation of Birmingham, Ala., for study of a disease that affects humans and other animals.

Auburn will add $900,000 of the donation to the Boshell Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Program Endowment at the veterinary college. Interest from the account supports the study of diabetes. The university will apply the remaining $100,000 toward research equipment and supplies.

Buris R. Boshell, MD, established the Diabetes Trust Foundation in 1964. He was a 1947 Auburn agriculture graduate who attended the veterinary college for two years before transferring to Harvard Medical School.

Michigan State alumnus establishes research scholarship

A new scholarship will expose interested students at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine to research careers through short-term laboratory programs.

The Joan E. and Richard L. Witter Veterinary Research Scholarship Fund will provide support for students to train at the Department of Agriculture's Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Mich., or to study infectious diseases of poultry or other production animals at other laboratories.

Dr. Witter, a 1960 alumnus of Michigan State, worked at the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory for 38 years and served as the laboratory's research director for more than two decades. He focused his studies on avian tumor viruses, and he continues to serve as a collaborator. He played an important part in developing a vaccine for Marek's disease. In 1998, the National Academy of Sciences elected him as a member.

Dr. Witter is concerned that not enough young veterinarians are following the path he took into agricultural research. He said exposing students to research and giving them opportunities to work with suitable mentors during their formative years is extremely important. He added that the staff at the avian laboratory has also found the participation of students to be a valuable experience for the staff.